A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Passau family of Denmark.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Parti de sa. et d'arg. C.: deux prob., d'arg. et de sa.”
The Passau arms were recorded in Denmark, c. 1722.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Sjaælland.
Zealand held the Danish court, the crown's offices and Copenhagen itself. Families who served the king kept estates within reach of it, and royal service was the ordinary route to a coat of arms.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in Denmark in this period.
Reigning in Denmark when the Passau arms are first recorded.
Danish heraldry during this period was closely tied to noble status and royal favor rather than being open to all citizens. Arms were typically granted by the monarch to individuals, and these symbols were then shared by all members of the noble house. If a family line died out, the right to use those specific arms ended with them.
The surname Passau is deeply connected to the historical landscape of northern Europe, with significant roots tracing back to the island of Sjælland in Denmark. By the year 1722, records confirm that members of the family were already established in this region, living during a time when Denmark was undergoing major social and administrative changes. While the name itself shares a linguistic link to the famous city of Passau in Bavaria, Germany, families bearing this name often migrated across borders for trade, military service, or agricultural opportunities. In the early eighteenth century, individuals with this surname were integrated into the local Danish community, navigating the complex parish systems and census records that defined life in the kingdom. As the family moved through the generations in Sjælland, they contributed to the local labor force and social fabric, leaving behind a trail of documentation that highlights their presence in the rural and urban centers of the island.
Derived from the Latin name Batavis referring to the Boii tribe.
